"With regards to Shenmue 1 and 2 HD, of course we would love to release these tomorrow. Sadly, it's not as simple as porting the games to the current platforms, as we would need to ensure that any HD remaster lived up to the quality of the original titles."

Exit Theatre Mode

Sheridan also raised the issue of the original game's real-world licensing, which included Coca-Cola and Timex products in-game (although Western releases had many of those licenses removed).

Sheridan concludes by saying that "we'd love to do it and are currently investigating how to make it a reality."

Reports of an HD remake of Shenmue have been circling since 2012 - however, with Shenmue III now officially on its way, the demand for such projects is likely to rise.